


Tradition

by bblamentation



Category: 999: Nine Hours Nine Persons Nine Doors - Fandom, Zero Escape (Video Games)
Genre: Family, Gen, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-22
Updated: 2015-12-22
Packaged: 2018-05-06 10:37:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5413643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bblamentation/pseuds/bblamentation
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christmas with the young Kurashikis, not long after they survived the Nonary Game. Aoi trying to have a normal Christmas like they used to, but Akane has become a very different person since coming into her power as an esper.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tradition

**Author's Note:**

> This was for [blueamaranth](http://blueamaranth.tumblr.com) for the [zecret santa](http://zecretsanta.tumblr.com) tumblr.

Two weeks before the cold day of the twenty-fifth and the tiny apartment was not filled with any festive décor. Although Aoi hadn’t been fond of the tattered tinsel year after year found nestled around the small plastic Christmas tree and walls, their home felt lost in the festive spirits of Japan. His lack of festive taste contributed to the lack of decorations but the concern was with his younger sister who had yet to pester him to scavenge through the storage cupboard for the plastic decorations they had used and accumulated for the past nine years.

The front door opened with the warm welcome from his sister calling out an “I’m home,” which Aoi responded with a shout from the next room. Aoi could let a smile pull at the corners of his mouth at the sound of his sister reserving her sweetness for him.

“School’s out,” Aoi grinned at his sister as she walked into the room “and that means the holidays are coming up.”

Akane slowly blinked, seeming to clear a confusion Aoi couldn’t place whether it was to do with the mention of school or of the holidays. “Oh, yeah, maybe we should put some decorations up,” Akane said as though the thought of Christmas had only just entered her mind.

Her nod and smile were easy to assume that they were masking worrying thoughts. After all, Aoi had known her all of her life and reading those expressions had come with ease; sometimes it seemed as though he could tap into parts of her thoughts and she could with his. Yet, in the few months after they had landed abandoned the perilous nine hours to catch dry land, his bright little sister was unreadable. The first two weeks he passed off as getting over the trauma of whatever she was left with in that horrid incinerator but the weeks following worried and disturbed him until they teethed into expressions and manners that would stick. In his eyes, his twelve year old sister did not suit bland smiles.

Although he could not read her expressions, as well as he used to, she still seemed to have the capacity to understand him (if not more). She headed to the storage cupboard swinging the doors but without the enthusiasm she had the previous year. She did however put enthusiasm as she scrounged through the clutter of battered boxes and black bags to find the same old décor.

After fishing out and dumping the black bag on the floor, with a thud, Akane tore the bag open for the baubles to roll out into the room. The tinsel lay limp against the floor tailing round the small plastic tree they always used and the cards with the characters of Christmas were almost tattered in their wear but despite the cheapness of them the two had become fond of using the same old decorations that would be placed in the same places. Aoi reached over to pull the tinsel out, examining it remembering how it would hang around the door frame brightening their home in the instance.

“Same place as ever,” Aoi said not needing to really ask his sister.

Before Akane could agree on the placement, Aoi had already started to collect the tinsel creating a mini mound for them to use. Akane sifted through the bag collecting the baubles and the other little trinkets. Neither spoke but Aoi liked the quietness where they were together doing something small for their home. Akane’s nimble hand patiently untied the lights but that frown had returned; it unnerved Aoi. Maybe it was the slightly turn of her lip or the blankness of her eyes but his sister did not seem to be concerned with the puzzle in her hand. Keeping an eye on his sister whilst he pinned the string of cards and ribbon to the ceiling, the older brother willed for the concern to be for the untangling of lights. Yet, the frown was unyielding to the Aoi’s care whilst fingers limply played with the knots.

“Hey, let me have a try,” Aoi said softly.

Even if his sister was younger than him she had never truly needed him to do things for her; he only assisted. Aoi offered his hand when she kept slipping the knots but with no response from her he placed a hand on her shoulder. Her shoulders stiffened freezing her brother in the process. Just as Aoi moved to lift his hand off she looked up and relaxed offering an apologetic half-smile.

“Sorry,” She said handing the trail of lights to her brother. “I wasn’t really paying attention to it.”

“No?”

Akane sighed, “Things keep coming and going.”

“Like what things?” Aoi prompted though he was careful not to pry too much. His sister had become both distant and closer to him since the horrific events…

Akane spoke staring straight into her brother, “The future.” Although the utterance was said without any difference, the intensity of young eyes searching in his was a wonder in itself. He feared what they searched for, not because he was hiding something (though there were secrets he would always keep), he feared for her need.

“Don’t worry about it,” Aoi pushed a laugh patting his sister’s head.

“I’m not,” Akane smiled.

She stared for a second longer as if she were waiting that he would tell her or rather show her what she wanted, before grabbing tending to the plastic tree which has bent branches. Fixing them in place she said, “We better get this decorated for Santa.” She smiled as she played with the branches and that softness she had was his sister.

Yet, the mention of Santa flashed the letter Akane had written last year before they were thrown into human hell. Her words had been sincere and the same feeling he had when he first read the letter crawled up his throat for the frog to reside there. Aoi swallowed, unsure whether he should suggest another letter for her to write. Would it help in the spirits of tradition or would it tempt fate once more?

He asked.

Akane stared at him before she spoke, “I will but only if you tell me what you’ve found out about why we were taken last year.”

Aoi stiffened. Her eyes searched again and there lay her curiosity. This time he matched the dark curiosity; he too wanted every scrap of metal and evidence of that _fucking_ ship. The first thing why he had to grab his sister with burning tears from the incinerator. At the moment he only had the odd newspaper articles of the missing children (bar the Kurashikis), and a couple of leads on different Pharmaceutical companies. Corporate.

“Nothing.”

“That’s not fair,” Akane whined. Whilst the subject matter fuelled his blood, telling his little sister even a smidge of what he knew made his stomach squirm. It did not feel as though I could it tighten anymore except when his sister spoke again, “especially when I have half of the story to tell.”


End file.
